Method of freeing tobacco from nicotin.



J. SARTIG.

METHOD OF FREEING TOBACCO FROM NICOTIN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 22, 1900. RENEWED JULY 24.1012.

1,055,360, Patented Mar.11,1913.

ZVi/Cvvum 2 awn/Ken'- My .Zifiazzrzes Sal-55g $294 51/ W #60 79626172 eys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANNES SABTIG, OF NIKOLASSEE, NEAR BERDIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE KENTUCKY TOBACCO PRODUCT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF FREEING TOBACCO FROM NICOTIN.

Specification of Lettbrsl'atent.

Patented Mar. 11,1913.

, Application filed November 22, 1906, Serial No. 344,596. Renewed July 24, 1912. Serial No. 711,344.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHANNES SARTIG, a citizen of the Emplre of Germany, residing at Nikolas see, near Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a. new and useful Method of Freeing Tobacco from Nicotin, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new method of producing as rapidly as possible tobacco free from nicotin.

The known methods of freeing tobacco from nicotin by means of a current of air present the defect, that an oxidation of the substances contained in the tobacco will result.

My invention consists in a new method of freeing tobacco from nicotin, in which air or oxygen is excluded from the tobacco, so that any oxidation of the substances contained in the tobacco is prevented and more particularly any defilement of the treated tobacco with products of the oxidation of the substances and with so-called resinified matters is rendered impossible, while at the same time the valuable nicotin can be recovered in its pure and undecomposed condition.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, which represents a vertical section through an apparatus that may be used for carrying into efiect the new method.

My new method is as follows: Tobacco of any kind, either prepared or fermented or unprepared, is introduced into a suitable vessel, where it may be placed in a loose heap or in layers or it may be suspended in clusters from suitable hooks, rods or the like. Superheated steam of more than 100 and less than 150 centigrade is then passed through the tobacco, care being taken to 'ternal vessel 1 is heate and forming a steam jacket. Both vessels 1 and 2 may be provided with charging openings 3 and 4, which can be closed by means of lids 5 and 6, bows 7 and 8 and bolts or the like. A false bottom 9 is preferably disposed inthe internal vessel 1, which divides the latter into the tobacco chamber 10 and the steam sheet 11. The superheated steam may be conducted from the respective source through a suitable pipe 13 to the steam chest 11, a branch 12, two suitable stop valves 14, 14' and a thermometer 15 being preferably rovided. The inwith superheated steam supplied from the same source to the external vessel 2 through a pipe 16 and a stop valve 17. A thermometer 18 is preferably disposed in the top of the external vessel 2 and serves for mea'surin the temperature of the steam ,inthe acket. A steam trap) 19 of any known construction is prefer. 1y disposed for collecting and separating the condensed water from the steam jacket.

The condenser C may consist of a box 20 of suitable size and shape and of a coil 21 therein, which is to be connected at its upper end. .with the internal vessel 1 of the distilling apparatus by means of a suitable pipe 22. The lower end of the coil 21 preferably terminates in a siphon 23, beneath the mouth of which some pot 24 or other vessel can be placed for collecting the distillate. Cold water is supplied to the box 20 at the bottom through :1. pi e 25 and the warm water is to be led o from the box 20 at p the top through a pipe 26.

The tobacco is introduced into the chamber 10 in the internal vessel 1 of the distilling apparatus D through the charging openings 3 and 4 and may be placed. in a loose heap or may be suspended in clusters from nails 27 as shown or otherwise. Superheated steam is then turned on to the external vessel 2 by opening the stop valve 17 to heat the internal vessel 1 and the tobacco therein. The stop valve 14%. is opened for allowin the superheated steam to blow off and for draining 011' any condensed water that may be forme The moment the thermometer 15 shows, that the superheated steam has the proper temperature, the stop valve 14 is closed and the other stop valve 14 is opened for admitting the superheated steam to the internal vessel 1. This may be done at the proper moment, say if the'thermometer 18' shows that the superheated steam in the steam jacket has the correct .ture of both the superheated steam and the tobacco be maintained on a temperature as near as possible to 150 centigrade. Care shouldbe taken, that this temperature never rises up to 150 centigrade, since at this point the woody fibers of the tobacco would alreadycommence ,to be decomposed which must be avoided. By means of the steam jacket every cooling and condensation of the superheated steam within the internal vesvel 1 is prevented. The free nicotin contained in the tobacco will then volatilize and will be carried away with the superheated st-eam, it remaining undecomposed. These steams pass from the distilling apparatus D to the condenser C through the pipe 22 and will be cooled and condensed in the coil 21, which is externally in contact with the cold water circulating in the box 20. The distillate will collect in the siphon 23 and will pass over into any pct 24 or the like. The nicotin dissolved in the condensed water can be easily recovered in any known manner and forms a valuable article of commerce. v

Preferably the superheated steam is passed through the tobacco until no trace of nicotin can be found in a sample of the distillate, when the tobacco will be free of nicotin. All the nicotin separated from the tobacco will be contained in the condensed Water. The tobacco so treated can be in any known manner turned into smokingor quid-tobacco or snufi.

Evidently the apparatus shown in the drawing and described above may be varied in many respects, while the result of the method will remain the same.

Analysis has ascertained that finally cut up tobacco, handled in accordance with the present method, is entirely freed from nicotin, and it is to be especially noticed that the nicotin'which is found in combination with plant acids, is completely distilled away through the use of the superheated steam, so that a previous handling of the tobacco with alkali as in known procedures, is not necessary. The union of the nicotin with the plant acids is the easier destroyed the higher the temperature of the steam.

I claim:

1'. The process of'recovering nicotin from tobacco material, which consists in passing superheated steam of more than 100 centigrade and less than 150 centigrade in a continuous stream through thetobacco material while excluding therefrom the air and maintaining such a temperature as to prevent condensation in the material, and condensing the steam charged with nicotin after passage through the material.

2. The process of recovering nicotin from I tobacco material, which consists 1n passing steam at a temperature less than-150 centigrade in a continuous stream through the -tobacco material while excluding therefrom the air and maintaining such a temperature as to prevent condensation in the material, 

